The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-18
SWINE PLAGUE.

0W108 PLAGUE.
DR.. Detmer says there are three
possible ways in which an animal may
become infected with an infectious dis.
ease. First, through wounds, sores aud
LESSONS, that is, by direct incubation
and secondly through the intestinal
canal by contaminated food or drink,
and thirdly through the respiratory
passage, by iuhaliug air which contains
the disease germs.
That hogs become infected with
swine plague by the two ways first
mentioned have absolute proof and
that such is fact have demonstrated
by numerous experiments. As to the
third way, through the lungs, 1t is very
doubtful whether swine plague is ever
communicated In that way, provided
there is No wound, lesion or sore on
the mucous membrane Of the respila-
tory passages. Of course If the mucous
membrane is sore, diseased or denuded
a direct innoculation will take place
just as easy through lesion of the mu-
cous membrane as through wound in
the skin.
Every farmer who has had any ex-
perience and who is o5servant will
know that animals that have sores
will take the disease and become in.
fected If there Is any swine plague
in the neighborhood, within a mile.
particularly if the wind is favorable.
Further very small quantity Of ma
terial which contains the disease germ
ifintroduced into the ub-cutaneous
tissues will cause infection.
One-eigth ola drop Of the fresh lung
oxidation Of an effected lung introduce
ed into the skin of the ear beneath the
epiderimis never fails to bring on the
disease usually in five to seven days.
An introduction Of the infectious prin.
ciple by way Of the digestive canal is
also frequent source ofinfection. This
too has been proved by direct expert
ments by feeding contaminated food or
by giving infected water. If healthy
hogs have access to and obtain their
water for drinking from a email run
ming stream and diseased hogs ha We
access to that water q mite or even
more above them it is the general ex-
perience that the former in very short
time usually inside of two weeks will
show symptoms of disease.
think I have written enough about
the symptoms and cause Of the disease
and will proceed to give my views con-
corning the best means Of prevention
which is of more importance than
either the symptoms or cause.
There is no doubt about it being ali
infectious disease and that the germs
will live several months under favor
able circumstances, and shippers know
that there are many breeders and feed
ers that ship their hogs to market If
the disease makes its appearance in
their herd, and those hogs leave the
germ Of swine plague in every car they
enter and also every pen and will
venture the assertion that there is not
one solitary pen in the Kansas City
stock yards that is not contaminated
with swine plague. And every car
load of stock hogs that enter those
pens and are allowed to remain several
hours will take the disease il al.
allowed to live two weeks, and l am
convinced almost every outbreak Of the
disease in different localities In this and
other States, can be traced to some
stock yard, or to stock that has been
shipped from one locality to another in
cars that have been used for shipping
hogs that were infected with swine
plague. I wrote to a friend of mine at
Kansas City concerning a car of stock
hogs that was shipped from the yards
at that place to lola and sold and told
him they were dying with the swine
plague, and will quote one sentence
of the letter 1 received from him to
show it is necessary for our protection
to quarantine against all stock yards.
This is the sentence from his letter:
Mr.. r. Cook: I received your letter
in regard to those hogs, and that kind
of stock Is sold here almost every day
and shipped to the country and more
or less Of them die.
am convinced that the above is
true as I frequently receive letters of
inquiry about pigs from various points
from this aud other States, and many |
Of my correspondents say they have
lost their hogs. They took the cholera
from hogs shipped to their locality.
We must have laws that will protect
Us or abandon the business. There can
be laws enacted that will do it and
interfering with any one ex-
cept those who want to dispose of their
stock. Idon't think there is
that can prevent hogs from
taking the disease II 1t lie in the same
locality, and as to curing the disease,
1 am confident 1t can't be done and /